The Prophecy Can't Be Foretold; a Tom Riddle Fan Fiction

1

-----

It's my final year at Hogwarts. One more exhausting year in this place- this maze of traditions, secrets, and expectations. One more year of pretending.

But I've never been good at pretending. Nadia, my closest friend, notices immediately, as always.

"What's wrong Cali?" she asks, her eyes narrowing as she takes the seat across from me in the carriage. The familiar rumble beneath us, the swaying motion as we journey from the platform to the castle, does nothing to soothe me.

"Nothing's wrong, Nadia. I'm just tired from the travel." I try to keep my voice light, brushing off her concern with a weak smile. "I went all the way to Spain over the summer, and I only got back yesterday." It's not a complete lie- I am tired. But I'm keeping so much more from her. So much I can't bring myself to say.

Before she can press further, Nadia's face lights up with sudden excitement. "Oh, did you hear?" she leans forward, her voice buzzing with the kind of news she knows I usually can't resist. "Do you remember Tom Riddle? He was in his seventh year when we started here at Hogwarts."

The name stirs something in me- a vague, shadowy image of a tall figure, dark-haired and aloof. But his face remains frustratingly out of reach, like a half-forgotten dream.

"Sort of," I reply, frowning slightly. "Why?"

"He's our new professor this year! Defense Against the Dark Arts, I think."

I raise an eyebrow, digging through the fog of my memory, trying to conjure up a face to go with the name. But nothing solid appears.

"That's... unexpected," I murmur. "Merrythought finally retired, then? About time the old hag is gone." I say it with the kind of bitterness I've always reserved for Professor Merrythought. He's never liked me, and the feeling is mutual. Defense Against the Dark arts was never my strong suit. Honestly, who needs it? When would we ever actually face some dark wizard hell-bent on terrorizing the world again? Grindelwald was dealt with long before we even started here. Surely nothing like that could happen again. 

The carriage rattles on, and soon we arrive at the castle, its familiar silhouette looming against the evening sky. Nadia and I make our way to the Great Hall, slipping in just as Professor Dumbledore is halfway through his welcoming speech.

"Ah, Caliana and Nadia, so good of you both to finally join us," Dumbledore calls out, his twinkling eyes finding us immediately. "Take a seat, girls. You'll need to look after the new first-year Slytherins tonight."

I roll my eyes but say nothing, sinking into my seat at the Slytherin table. It's only then that I feel it- someone watching me. My gaze drifts to the staff table, and I lock eyes with someone unfamiliar, yet strangely... compelling. His eyes sweep over me, calm and calculating, as if he's assessing something I can't quite understand.  

Dumbledore's voice cuts through my thoughts. "As some of you may have already noticed, we have a new face among our staff this year. Taking over from Professor Merrythought as our new Defense Against the Dark arts teacher, please welcome one of our own former students... Tom Riddle."

The hall erupts into applause, though I suspect much of it is more for the departure of Merrythought than for Riddle's return. I watch as he inclines his head slightly, acknowledging the cheers with an air of quiet confidence.

My eyes linger on him for a moment longer. There's something about him- something unsettling beneath the surface.

-----